Monday, June 29, 2009

Is New York Coming or Growing? The Bloomberg Administration Is of Little Mind

Just what does the Bloomberg administration have on its little mind? Does it think that New York will grow and will it then plan for growth accordingly? Or is the Bloomberg administration planning for a shrinking New York? We think we can perceive some unfortunate consistency in the Bloomberg administration’s inconsistent answers.

It was proclaimed that land use policies therefore needed to fall in line to support this growth. Here in 2006, from the above Times article is what Daniel L. Doctoroff, the Deputy Mayor for Economic Development (and the head of the mayor's Sustainability Advisory Board) had to say on the subject:

Responding to the mayor's pledge in his State of the City address last January to produce a ''strategic land use plan'' to deal with a city of nine million people, Mr. Doctoroff said: ''We have the capacity through rezoning and underutilized land to go well over that number. But you cannot simply divorce the issue of growth from the infrastructure required to support it.

The Bloomberg administration found the idea that New York is going to grow convenient to promote actions to turn more land over to real estate developers. When the above Doctoroff quote was provided, the Times explained further:

City officials declined to publicly elaborate on their proposals in advance of the advisory board's announcement. But some of its goals were foreshadowed by two of the largest rezoning revisions in city history -- of the Brooklyn waterfront in Greenpoint and Williamsburg and the Far West Side of Manhattan -- both driven by Mr. Doctoroff.

The two major zoning changes, coupled with other development proposals, including the Atlantic Yards project in Brooklyn, were aimed at revitalizing underutilized land for economic development and expanding the city's property tax base.

But if New York is growing and if, as Doctoroff said, “you cannot simply divorce the issue of growth from the infrastructure required to support it” why is the Bloomberg administration busy shrinking the city’s infrastructure? Why specifically is the Bloomberg administration spearheading:

2. The shrinking (almost certainly out of existence) of the Coney Island amusement area, New York’s Central Park by the sea? The Coney Island amusement area is supremely accessible to the rest of the city, made so by the investment in a substantial subway infrastructure. Why, in a time of growth, should we be shrinking this park out of existence? There is only one apparent reason: Getting rid of the Coney Island amusement area will allow the Bloomberg administration to turn it over to real estate developers for other purposes- But it will probably be “generations” before that development actually occurs. For more of what we have written about this and for information about the City Council hearings scheduled of this Wednesday morning on the proposed shrinkage out of existence of Coney see: Thursday, June 25, 2009, July 1, Wed, 10 am: City Council Hearing on Coney Island Rezoning.

Why shrink New York’s infrastructure? Consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds. The Bloomberg administration actually has such a little mind (and apparently little on its mind)- - It is always consistent about one thing: When it comes to the real estate industry and big developers, the Bloomberg administration is always looking for what it can hand out and give away.

About Me

NOTICING NEW YORK & NATIONAL NOTICE are both independent entities managed by Michael D. D. White of Hop-Skip Enterprises. Michael D. D. White is an attorney, urban planner and former government public finance and development official. *** Noticing New York covers New York development and associated politics. National Notice covers national policy and economic issues *** Contact: MichaelDDWhite(at)gmail.com